LSD
by Precambrian Studios
Summary: As a result of being struck with a disease when they are young, Daria becomes deaf and Quinn is blind. How will this affect their lives?
1. Chapter 1

"Now girls, I just wanted you both to know that your mother and I are really proud of you both for being so patient in Highland. We know it was frustrating for you both, but hey, things might be looking up!" He enthused. Daria arched a brow and turned to Quinn, who repeated what Jake said in ASL within moments. Daria said in a somewhat slurred voice, "Well, can't be nearly as bad as HSD. Unless the drinking water is irradiated here too."

"I doubt that, kiddo. Remember what mom said, stay positive! You might have an extremely interesting experience here. LSD has such cool programs!"

Quinn once again signed the exchange. Daria said, "Like how they put heavy metal on the PA system 24/7 to deter any unwanted visitors."

Quinn gave a skeptical glance at her sister. [They don't really do that, do they?]

"No."

[It's too bad that we can't go to LHS or anything.]

"I heard that the principal's been cutting programs since the eighties, so, probably not."

[Well, I guess that's too bad, or something.]

"You girls okay back there?"

"Just having a conversation, Dad!" Quinn replied. [So, wanna talk about our new schools later today? Or will you be too busy, you think?]

"My plans to conquer the world always take up a lot of my time."

[Ha ha. But you think you can help me with my homework, later? Mom said LSB is already doing Trig in Algerbra II.]

"I'll see what I can do."

They felt the car slow and Jake pulled up on the sidewalk. "Here we are, Quinn! LSB!"

"Great, thanks dad."

"You need any help-"

"I doubt it."

"Oh. Well, all right. Just be careful on your way in!"

"Don't bump into any trees," Daria warned her.

[Very funny.]

Daria reached into her pocket and withdrew a pair of sunglasses and teasingly asked Quinn, "Need any shades?"

[Yeah. Because the sun will be like, so bright and might hurt my eyes.] She picked up her backpack, retractable cane, and got out of the car. She waved goodbye to her father and sister and walked off.

Jake turned around to Daria. [So kiddo, I can't sign while on the way over, but I just want to wish you a good first day.]

[Thank you.]

[You got everything?]

[Yes.]

[Well, all right. LSD, here we come!]

Even Daria had to give a brief chuckle at the acronym.


	2. Chapter 2

For Daria, being Deaf had never particularly troubled her, mostly because she had been too young when she had lost her hearing to remember how it had happened. Daria and Quinn, as toddlers, were taken to the emergency room by Helen and Jake when they both came down with the flu. What their parents didn't know, however, was that the hospital in question had extremely poor health protocols. An new infection of some unknown type spread to the children's ward of the hospital, killing some of the patients and distributing various disabilities upon the survivors. In the ensuing lawsuit, which had been publicized across the nation, Helen represented all of the parents who had suffered, including herself. As a result, all the families were compensated with large sums of money by the government to ensure the future of the surviving children. Most of the hospital's staff was replaced following the numerous inquiries.

Realizing that there would be inevitable communication troubles between his daughters, Jake decided to become a stay-at-home father. He took both girls to special sessions in Arlen to ensure that their critical periods of childhood were spent becoming fluent in both sign language and English. Jake also heavily researched how to teach them both languages from various sources, mostly from books written by Annie Sullivan herself and Billy Seago's online Bravo Family videos. Eventually, he was able to teach both himself and Helen ASL. They practiced by going to the numerous deaf event meetings at their local coffee-shops.

Quinn was only a few months old when she became blind. Her rambunctiousness had diminished for a few weeks, then quickly returned as she began blindly groping around the Morgendorffer's new home in Highland. They had moved to a one-story house, as Helen was deathly afraid of the idea of Quinn being around stairs. Quinn and Daria were able to talk to each other by the time Quinn was four. Quinn eventually began to show off her talents in sewing, being able to create dresses and suits with ease (but sometimes, the patterns adorning them would become a little messy). She created her own fashion club at Highland School for the Blind, teaching other interested students how to sew.

Daria was quite withdrawn and guarded. During her brief stint in a Hearing pre-school, she became irritated that few of the instructors tried to communicate with her, and that none of the other children would even come near her, fearing for their own hearing. Frustrated at these rejections, she decided to discern the causes of the prejudices of her peers, and became quickly enamored in psychology. She had already signed up for an AP class at LSD, and was actually looking quite forward to it.

As her father drove her to her new school, she stared out the window and pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose. Daria let herself sink into what was for her, unusually optimistic thoughts. _This could really be a new start. Unlike HSD, they have AP and gifted programs here. The students are probably motivated, which means they'll be so busy they can leave me the Hell alone. Well, we'll see..._She sniffed._ Is that smoke?_

She couldn't hear it, but Jake exclaimed, "Holy Kabooski!"

As the car turned around the corner, Daria got her first look at Lawndale School for the Deaf, as it burned in a spectacular crimson blaze.


	3. Chapter 3

Helen paced up and down angrily in her office, letting out an occasional curse that she was thankful only her assistant, Marianne, could hear. "If he wants to be the goddamn candidate, then he can answer to the committee!" she exclaimed. "I mean, for chrissake, this idiot is turning down such a great opportunity and he thinks that-" Helen stopped when she heard the phone ringing. She made eye contact with Marianne and pointed at the phone. Her frazzled assistant wearily answered it, while Helen continued on. "He may THINK that running for another term is a smart move, but he's just trying to look intelligent for his peers-"

Marianne cupped her hand over the phone and was wide-eyed. "Mrs. Morgendorffer. It's your husband, he-"

Helen waved her hand irritably. "Yes, yes, he got the girls dropped off and he's heading off to work, tell him-"

"Mrs. Morgendorffer, he said something about the school for the Deaf burning down."

"WHAT?!" Helen snatched the phone away from Marianne, who winced. "Jake! Is Daria okay?"

"Yeah, honey, she's fine, she's okay."

Helen took a breath. "Oh, thank god. What the hell happened?"

"I have no idea, we turned the corner and saw the school go up in flames!n Someone said it was an electrical fire, nobody's certain. Most of the campus went up."

"Oh my god. How much of it exactly, can you tell?"

There was a pause. "Looks like the main building got torched pretty bad. Never seen anything like it, must have spread in minutes."

"Jake, are the students being re-located?"

"I don't know, honey. I think the principal's going to come out in a minute and say something. I'll call you back in a bit."

"Jakey, how's Daria?" she inquired, clenching the phone tightly.

"Same old same old."

Her grip relaxed. Rolling her eyes, Helen thought, _Her new school burns down and she probably hasn't even raised an eyebrow. Oh well._ "Okay, Jakey, give me an update later. No, wait, you better wait until I get home...Marianne, how many meetings do I have?"

"Four."

"Damn it. Sorry Jakey, you'll have to tell me later, I'll see if I can leave early."

"Right. Over and out."

"Tell Daria that everything's going to be okay."

"Will do."

At his end, Jake hung up his cell phone and tucked it into his bag. Daria signed, [So, can I go to Galludet now?]

Jake chuckled briefly. [No, kiddo, sorry.]

[You know, they'll probably send out an e-mail to all the parents. Wanna go to LSB and terrorize Quinn?]

[Daria.]

[All right. But can I at least throw eggs into the crowd? I'm bored here.]

[Don't you have Black Sunday with you?]

[I left it at home. Ah, here's the principal.]

Standing on a chair procured from who-knows-where, the principal of Lawndale School for the Deaf stood up and wrung his hands. He was a middle-aged man with olive-skin and greying hair. He signed with a sad look on his face, [Students, parents, and faculty of Lawndale School for the Deaf. I'm truly sorry you all had to have this happen on your first day of school.]

A couple students gave a few, 'Heh, yeah right' looks. Not many, though.

[Judging by the extent of the damage from the fire, the origin of which we have not yet been able to determine, it will take an entire school year to repair the damage and restore some of the records that were lost. I have been on the phone with the head of LUSD. We're being instructed to temporarily re-locate. Portables will be set up at Lawndale High School and Lawndale School for the Blind, and any disused classrooms will be set up for us. Our high-school age students will of course go to LHS, and everyone below will be at LSB. I am again extremely sorry for this, but I hope that the year will get back on track. Expect to be back in school within a week. You will all receive automated messages on your TTYs from me soon. Also...]

Daria yawned and thought, _Well, at least Quinn's having a better day than I am._

XXXX

I_ hate this place already. And it's only been two hours! _

The day had started off well enough. Quinn got inside the school without any trouble, got some directions from some seeing volunteers, and got to her first class without a hitch. But that was because it happened to be only a few feet away. After class, walking down the hallway, it began to dawn on Quinn that the school had been designed by idiots. The halls were crowded to the point at which the ensuing clanging of canes made it sound like people were clapping. There were no braille markings to indicate hallways or classrooms, and even dangerously, the stairs had no guardrails. At one point, Quinn thought out loud, "How the hell am I supposed to get anywhere without breaking my neck?"

To which a random student walking by mumbled, "Heuristics." Quinn didn't know what that meant. She knew Daria had probably had mentioned it at some point, but she couldn't recall when or why.

By the time she had gotten to language arts 'n lit, she swore she was growling in frustration. The teacher spoke, "Ms. Morgendorffer?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late, I couldn't find the place, there aren't any-"

"It's fine, happens to everyone, take your seat in the back right corner."

Quinn gave an, "Oh," and made her way to the back row. Suddenly, she felt herself trip and she reached out against the wall for balance.

"Whup, careful fishie," came a nasally voice.

"Leave her alone, Laurie," said a male voice. "It's the first damn school day."

"**** off, Nickie."

Quinn made her way to her seat and shrank a bit. _Great, already met a jerk. Worst first day in the history of first days._

The teacher began talking about the class syllabus, and the male voice returned in the form of a low whisper. "Watch out for Laurie. She's the raging bitch type. The type that'll rip out your throat for talking back to them."

Quinn fearfully gripped her cane. "Is she going to beat me up? I just got here, I don't want to get beat up."

"Relax...Morgendorffer, right?"

"Quinn."

"Quinn. I'm Nick. Laurie's like a bee; you don't bother her and she won't bother you. Usually. Right now was an exception."

"Thanks." She paused, listened to the teacher for another few moments, and whispered back, "I was wondering, is this place supposed to be an architectural disaster?"

Nick gave a soft chuckle. "Well, no. Principal Li's an idiot. He comes from a long line of incompetents. He left out a lot of, shall we say, important details when the school was being renovated. There's a rumor he used the spare funds to buy himself a gold toilet."

"Gold huh? Eye candy...he's not blind, is he?"

"No."

"Course. Well, thanks."

"Welcome."

After an hour of being told what to expect in the class, the bell rang. Quinn stood up, and felt a hand gently pull her back down. "Wait a few moments," Nick said. "Otherwise you're going to be hit by a lot of swinging canes."

"Thanks."

"You interested in piano?"

"Pardon?" Quinn was taken aback in the wanton randomness of the question.

"Me and my sister Ashley have a piano club during lunch," Nick explained. "Want to come?"

"Thanks, Nick, but I'm not exactly comfortable going around with people I barely even know."

"I guess you're not the dating type, then?"

Quinn laughed. "Not really."

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine. Hope you like LSB. Nice meeting you."

He started off, and Quinn quickly changed her mind and said, "Actually, I think I'll come with."

"Oh! You sure?"

"You're the first person who's been nice to me so far. Of course!"

"Cool! Well, can you hold out your hand for a moment?"

"Um, okay?" Quinn was puzzled at this request. She felt a cane hit her shoe, then felt something soft being placed into her hand. She felt at it: it was some string. "What's this for?"

"So you don't get lost."

Quinn gripped it in her hand, and felt herself being guided out. She though to herself,_ Hope Daria's day isn't as strange as mine._


	4. Chapter 4

"Are we there yet?" Quinn asked Nick as he swiftly led her down the hall. Quinn knew he was quite ahead of her, as the rope that that connected them was rather taut.

"No. Mind the drop."

"What dro-WOAH!" Quinn's foot fell into empty air, then hit the linoleum floor. She estimated a half-foot drop. "Well, that's a serious safety hazard."

"Yeah, some construction dudes took out the guard-rail by accident. There's supposed to be some dude on duty here, keeping watch for us. Don't know where he is today."

They turned a corner. Quinn ran her hand along the wall, trying to memorize the arrangements of the doors. "So, what hall are we in?"

"D."

"Got it."

She felt Nick tug the rope at an angle again, which indicated another corner turn. "How long have you been playing piano?" Quinn asked.

"All my life, my sister too. We're pretty good, if I do say so myself," he said, smiling proudly. "We tend to play a lot of the classics."

"Like, Beethoven?"

He laughed. "Ah, no. I mean classical rock, and stuff."

"Oh. Like, The Beatles?"

"Them too."

After walking another few meters, Nick tapped his cane against a door. "Ah! Here we are." He gripped the handle and pushed the door open.

"How long did it take you to memorize how to get here?" asked Quinn.

"I still am. Call today's little adventure a lucky venture."

As he opened the door, they were greeted by the sweet bars of Mozart's 'Requiem'. "Hey, Ash!" said Nick.

"Fratello mio! How's your day been, so far?" asked a sweet, pleasant voice.

"Pretty good. I brought an audience!"

Ashley wrinkled her nose. "Okay, be honest with me. How much did he pay you?"

Quinn realized whom she was addressing. "Um, nothing. I came here by myself." Quinn walked over to the piano and extended her hand. "Quinn. You're brother's already told me a bit about you. Mind if I shake your hand?"

She heard Ashley get off the piano bench. They shook hands. Quinn was taken aback; her hand had been gripped at a 45 degree angle, as though Ashley was sitting on the ground. Quinn could only say, "Huh."

"Yeah, forgot to mention," Nick said. "Ashley's a hobbit."

There was a swishing sound. "Yow!" cried Nick, clutching his knee.

"Serves you right," Ashley grinned mischievously. "If I'm a hobbit, that makes _you_ an ent."

Quinn wished she knew what they were talking about. She was not a fantasy fan. "Can either of you explain to me what you're talking to me about?"

"Ashley and Nick are, for lack of a better phrase, seriously messed up," said a new voice that Quinn could tell was coming from the corner of the room. It was male, smooth as honey, with a hint of coolness to it. "I think it's a disease or something, they never really explain to me," the mystery boy continued. "Ashley's a dwarf, Nick's a giant. He's 6.8 feet tall."

Quinn's jaw dropped. "Really?"

"Take your cane and see if you can find my head," Nick said.

Quinn raised the cane off the ground and moved it upwards, and gently tapped a part of Nick's body. "What was that?"

"My shoulder."

"Wow." Quinn turned her head over in the direction of the corner. "And, uh, who're you?"

The boy in the corner stood up from his chair and made a flourishing gesture in spite of the fact, to his disappointment, that it could not be seen. "Balthazar, at your service. I'm a friend of Nick and Ashley. I play guitar. Do you play anything?"

Quinn suddenly felt very small. "No, I don't," she muttered, feeling a little ashamed.

Shrugging, Balthazar said, "Well, that can be changed. We do need a percussionist, after all."

"We?" Quinn asked.

Nick said, "Me, Ashley, and Balthazar have our own band. The No. 2 Pencils. Don't worry, we're thinking about changing the name. We've been trying to find someone to play drums for us, but we can't find anyone. Or anyone willing to learn. Want to give it a shot?"

Quinn shuffled her feet, feeling as though too much was being asked of her in such a short amount of time. "Uh, I don't know. And no offense, Nick, but I don't really know any of you guys."

"Would you stay if I told you I was really sexy?" asked Balthazar. "If you could see, I'm sure you'd agree."

Quinn's face turned a light shade of pink. "Thanks, but I have principles."

There was a wanton silence. Quinn was about to apologize profusely, but then Balthazar let out a ringing laugh. "Good one," he said. Quinn sighed in relief.

"Okay, now I _really_ want you to be our friend," Ashley enthused. "A girl of morals is something we can certainly use, to counterbalance Balto over here."

"Oh god, don't call me that."

"Well, I may have one last thing to persuade you otherwise," Nick said. He shuffled over to a table and opened a box that had been sitting there for a while. He removed an object from the box and gave it to Quinn. "Here," he said. "And there's more where that came from."

Quinn took the object and immediately recognized it as pizza. "Hm…" she pondered.

"You're not one of those wait-watching girls, are you?" Ashley asked.

Quinn scoffed. "Frankly, I kinda fail to see the point in looks. Considering."

"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised," Balthazar said. "There are people here who screech once they've realized that they've eaten a cafeteria crouton."

Quinn took a bite out of the pizza, and considered the offer that she was being given. My favorite food, every school day, for learning a new skill….yeah, why not? "Sure, I'll try it out, see how it goes?"

Nick clapped his hands together in excited anticipation. "Great! Uno problamo, however."

"What?"

"We don't have any drums with us at the moment," Ashley said. "You understand, this was all so sudden, and everything."

"Oh, uh, yeah, I understand," Quinn said. She sat down at the table and continued to eat her pizza.

"Hey, Balt, can you get your mom to lend us a set?" Nick asked.

Balthazar stroked his chin, where he had grown the ghost of a beard. "Yeah, she probably could. I can't guarantee it'll be in the best shape, though."

Quinn asked, "What does your mom do?"

"She's the music teacher here," Balthazar answered. "Mrs. Dressler? Heard of her?"

"Well, no, it's my first day."

Balthazar let out a mock gasp. "My god, she has not heard of the Dressler clan!" He sighed. "Well, there's only one thing we can do: you will have to be shot."

"Oh no!" Quinn retorted in her best impression of a terrified person, which admittedly was not that good. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"Hm," Balthazar hummed. "I'll have to hold you to that."

Ashley tapped a few notes at her piano. "So, Quinn, what kind of musicians you like?"

"Uh, Pat Benatar's pretty good."

"I can play some of her stuff," Ashley said.

Balthazar noted, "And she can sing them too. Ash has the voice of an angel."

Ashley let out an exasperated sigh. "You're such an awful flirt," she said. She played a few scales to warm up. "This bit, Nick knows it; our mom used to sing this to us as a lullaby."

"So naturally, it took me pretty quickly to get sick of it," Nick said, recalling nights when he clutched his ears to the point that he swore he made them flatter.

Ashley began to play and sing:

_You said - oh girl, it's a cold world _  
_When you keep it all to yourself _  
_I said you can't hide on the inside _  
_All the pain you've ever felt _  
_Ransom my heart, but baby don't look back _  
_Cause we got nobody else _

"Ah, the Rock of Ages version. Meh," scoffed Balthazar. He yelped in pain when Nick stepped on his foot to silence him.

_We're running with the Shadows of the Night _  
_So baby take my hand, you'll be all right _  
_Surrender all your dreams to me tonight _  
_They'll come true in the end _


	5. Chapter 5

"This is an absolute disaster!" Ms. Li roared to the Executive of Education board member's face indignantly. "How can I possibly be expected to manage two schools!? I don't even know sign language!" The board member, a thin-haired woman by the name of Susan Scott, straightened her tie and regarded Li with mild irritation. "Ms. Li, you do know that you will be responsible for just LHS, right? Principal Lazari will have to worry about the school for the deaf, not you." Li glanced out her window, and watched the portable buildings being placed on the school grounds. "That may be, it's still on MY campus! And I have to share MY classrooms!" Crossing her arms over her chest, Scott said, "Ms. Li, are you under the impression that you own LHS? Because that is a sorely incorrect view." Li crossed her arms as well. "I know that. But I will not have a bunch of deaf students dampening the glory of Laaawwndale High." Frowning in disapproval of Li's behavior, Scott said slowly, "And how exactly would they do that, Ms. Li?" The cocksure look on Li's face vanished. "Well...they, um, uh-" Scott rolled her eyes, picked up her briefcase, and as she headed out the door, said "You will be expected to handle this situation well, Ms. Li. That means no more ludicrous security enhancements." She eyed the camera peeking at her from the corner of the office. "But-" Scott cut her off. "No buts. You've already installed more cameras than I have papers in this case." With a much firmer voice, she said, "Any newly-acquired funds go right to the LSD students, and if they're mismanaged, you're out of here." Li crossed her arms and muttered a reluctant, "Fine." XXXX Daria walked into her psychology class and immediately headed to a front seat in the classroom, while in the back of the room, the teacher, a blonde, somewhat chubby man was putting up a few posters to make himself at home inside the Lawndale High room (the main classes for LSD students had been put in the portables outside the main LHS building). Eventually, the class swelled full, and the teacher shut the door. He signed, [Well, day one, nothing's burned down yet, I'd say that's a good start.] There was some laughter. [So, I'm Mr. Koring, your AP Psych teacher. I'm hearing, so don't kill me if you find me listening to iTunes.] More sparse chuckles. [I'd like to welcome back some students of mine who took regular psych, and say hi to you all who decided to take the plunge. So, I-] He stopped when he, as well as the rest of the class, noticed that the TV was beginning to flicker on and off. Koring rolled his eyes, but cracked a smile as he signed, [David, give it here.] An acne-stricken boy wearing a brown jacket gave a slight grin. He reached into his pocket and tossed Koring what looked like a car remote. Koring pocketed it and continued, [So, I would go on about the kinds of things we're going to study here, but the hell with it, you'll find out eventually. I'll just say this. One: don't expect anything on the meaning of life. Either assume it's about reading a good book now and then, or 42.] There were a few confused glances, but Daria understood and smiled slightly. [So, the first thing we're going to be doing is an icebreaker activity.] Do I get one of those sharp pointy axes they use on The Walking Dead? Daria thought. [Draw a something that describes you. It has to do something with what you want to do, where you want to go, what you aspire to do, etc etc etc. Go.] The students immediately began withdrawing their various materials. Daria stood up from her desk and walked up to Koring's. [Mr. Koring?] He looked up from his laptop. [Hello. My seating chart indicates that your name is Daria.] [Your seating chart is good with names.] Koring leaned back. [What can I do for you?] [I'd like to become exempt from this assignment.] Koring smiled. [I think everyone here does. Don't worry about it, it's just a social thing, not for a grade.] [Yes, well, then it won't kill anyone if I don't do it.] Koring shrugged. [Sorry, Daria. If I exempt you, I have to exempt everyone.] He looked to the right. [No, you can't be exempt either.] Daria turned, and faced a girl wearing a large Galludet sweater. She was a few inches taller than Daria, with black hair and a few dyed-blue streaks. [Come on, Mr. Koring,] the girl signed. [It's pointless. Nobody in this class is going to talk to each other again for the rest of the year.] Koring shrugged, then yawned. He signed wearily, [Maybe, maybe not, but it's best you get comfortable with some of your new classmates now, Anna.] [Can I just bring a pillow instead?] [Ha ha ha. Sorry, I am not budging here.] Anna and Daria both sighed, and went back to their seats. As she sat down, Daria noticed that Anna was sitting next to her. As she reluctantly began to drag a crayon across her paper, Anna poked her shoulder. Daria looked and saw that she was being offered a colored pencil. She took it. Anna signed, [They are more efficient and don't you feel like you are still in elementary school.] [Thanks. Koring knows you, did you already take psych class?] [Yeah, but I wasn't able to take the AP test, so I decided I'd take another crack at it. It's an easy A.] [Hated that movie.] [Likewise. But anyways, when he tells you how hard the tests are, don't believe him, it's a scare tactic.] Anna quickly checked over Daria's shoulder to see if Koring was watching them. He was still focused on his computer. [They're actually really easy.] [Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for when I consider cramming for any. Sorry, what was your name again?] Anna made an A and put it against her mouth. [Anna Morton. You?] Daria made a D and rubbed her temple with the formed sign. [Daria Morgendorffer. What's your name sign mean?] [I used to projectile vomit a lot. I'd like to say it was deliberate and to piss off my parents, but I've had some nasty medical problems over the years. If you want to get more details, ask my brother Rufus, he's just over there.] [Thanks, but I'll take your word for it.] [Hey, did you hear that there are LSD students being sent to see LHS's shrink.] Daria arched both her eyebrows, and waited for Anna to realize her mistake. After a few moments, Anna rolled her eyes. [I said, hear, yeah yeah.] [No. I find gossip to be a waste of time.] [Likewise, but if you fail the test, you get sent to some godforsaken class for people with low self-esteem.] [I might just do that. Could add for some peace and quiet.] [Ha ha. Trust me, don't do it. David over there was in a program like that. He's never been the same. I think he slams his head into his desk MORE often when he isn't screwing around with the tech.] Daria looked over at the boy with the brown jacket. [Why'd he end up there?] A look of disgust appeared on Anna's face. [People are morons. They sent him in there a little while before he finished recuperating.] [From what?] [Look next to the leg of his desk.] Daria glanced over and spied a cane resting against David's leg. [He's still having trouble walking. Apparently, fearing for your life is grounds to be sent to a classroom for people who don't appreciate themselves. And I've heard...you get what I mean. I've heard that the staff here are even worse.] [How do you know?] [Rufus is on Facebook all the time, he tells me some stuff. The science teacher apparently abuses male students, there's an English teacher who gives Spongebob a run for his money in the waterworks department, and the economics teacher draws a bunch of shapes that mean zilch.] [I'm starting to wish I could hear, their zany antics could have been an abundant source of amusement for me.] Anna shrugged. [Well, the teachers here have their own quirks too, you'll find out soon enough.] Daria paused, and after deliberating the question for a few moments asked, [Can I see your schedule?] [I don't know, can you?] [Just fork it over before I use my mental powers to destroy you.] For emphasis, Daria pressed her fingers to her temples. Anna laughed. [Yes, Dr. Cooper.] She gestured to Daria's cranium. [Is that why your name sign goes up to your head?] [No, it's because I'm always telling my family how much they give me headaches.] [Gotcha, gotcha. Well, here's my schedule.] Anna withdrew a piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to Daria. She scanned it quickly. 1-AP Psychology-Koring. 2-Algebra II w/Trig-Matthews 3-Honors English-Bowman 4-AP Physics-Holm 5-AP US History-Martin 6-Weight Lifting-Smith 7-Adv. Drama-Dini [I have Bowman and Martin the same period you do, but all the other classes, I'm afraid not. Seems like a rigorous schedule.] [I would've gotten into Fielding too, if it weren't for those hearing geezers running that place.] [And weight lifting?] Anna rolled up a sleeve, revealing an almost masculine-looking arm, hair and all. [It's for that day when Rufus finally pushes me too far.] [You're a fascinating individual, Anna.] She smiled, nodding in agreement. [I know it.] 


	6. Chapter 6

As Daria, Anna, and the rest of Koring's psychology class walked to the gymnasium for the assembly, Daria and Anna continued to converse.

[So, you born here?] Anna asked. Daria shook her head. [Texas.]

[You have an accent?]

[My parents say I don't.]

[You're not CODA then,] Anna signed, referring to the acronym that stood for "Child of Death Adult."

[No. You?]

[Yeah, my parents met at Galludet. We moved here when I was ten. I do miss Washington a little, the museums and everything.]

[I've always wanted to go just to see the spelling error at the Lincoln Memorial, personally.]

[Not much to see, they've covered it up pretty well. Wasn't worth the drive. Do you?]

[Do I what?] As she left that question hanging, Daria, Anna, and the other LSD students began filing into the gym, and sitting in the bleachers opposite of the LHS students, creating an isolated atmosphere, just how Daria liked it. She and Anna sat in the top row of the bleachers. Anna continued, [Do you drive?]

[No, I'm fifteen.]

Anna gaped. She looked Daria up and down, very much surprised. [You look almost eighteen!]

Daria smirked. [I take pills. Actually, I skipped a grade in elementary school.]

Mouthing an, "Ah," Anna signed, [That'll do it. So, a junior at fifteen. That isn't bad going.]

Daria stared into the distance longingly. [No, it is. I feel like I've skipped a part of my childhood.] This comment caused Anna's face to scrunch a little at the sheer cheesiness of what she'd just said. [Really...]

Daria turned back. There was a slight smirk on her face. [B-a-z-i-n-g-a.]

Anna smiled. [I like that show too. Raj is my favorite.]

[I watch just to see how much of the science they get wrong.]

The lights began flickering, which got the LSD students' attention, as they turned their heads to the center stage at the end of the gym. As for the LHS students, they were used to the lights going out completely, which would usually be followed by stomping and screaming. They started scratching their heads in confusion. Principal Lazari, his greying hair shining in the gym's overwhelming floodlights, took the stage. A large projector screen with a live video of him was draped above his head, A young, bearded man who looked a little like a hippie stood next to him.

[That's Mr. Martin,] Anna signed. As Lazari began signing, Martin kept his eyes locked on him, and spoke into the microphone to translate for the LHS students.

"[Good day, everyone. My name is Richard Lazari, and I am the principal for the Lawndale School for the Deaf. As most of you know, our school was recently struck with a fire. What some of you might not know, is that according to a recent Facebook post by the Lawndale Fire Department, the fire was an act of arson.]" There was chatter on one side of the gym, and a flurry of signing on the other. The lights flickered again. "[We have not yet discovered the culprit, or culprits, but I want to assure all of you that you are safe at Lawndale High. I've been told that Ms. Li has made sure that various security enhancements have been installed, so there's no need to be concerned at all.]"

"[But want I wish to address immediately is the arrangement between the schools. Due to the sudden transfer of our students here, we have not had enough time to integrate school programs. This means that classes will essentially be segregated. Hearing students will not share classrooms with Deaf students. However, this does not mean that interaction amongst yourselves is to be restricted. I, along with all of the LSD staff, encourage interaction between all of the students gathered here today, amongst themselves and the faculty, to promote communication and understanding. And you definitely will be seeing each other in the hallways; we have been given the use of some rooms in the main school building for the LSD students. This is a fantastic opportunity for you all to make new friends from both ends of the hearing spectrum. I genuinely hope that, despite the circumstances, you will all become fast friends, and make the most of your time here.]"

XXXX

After the speech ended, Daria and Anna headed back to Koring's room to retrieve their things. Anna made a face like she was going to be sick. [That was a load of bull. Hearing and Deaf students being friends? In high school?]

[It's more likely that I'll have an aneurism in the next ho-] she was interrupted as a hulking football player with a blonde-haired, buxom girl in his arm walked between Daria and Anna. Daria gave them a filthy look and resumed signing. [In the next hour.] [Probably.] There was a silence between them as they walked back inside class and started to pick up their things. Eventually, Daria inquired, [So, Anna. Mind if I sit with you outside, during lunch?]

Anna smiled. She gestured to the door. [I'm all for interesting company.] Walking out into the hall and out the main door, Daria turned her head back to Anna. [So, your brother, do you two get-]

Anna pointed beyond Daria's shoulder. [Watch it.]

Daria and another student bumped shoulders. Daria quickly signed, [Sorry,] to a surprised girl wearing a red jacket, and continued on outside, where Anna caught up to her, an amused grin on her face. [I think she was Hearing. Bet you she felt really awkward.]

Shrugging, Daria signed, [She'll survive.]


	7. Chapter 7

[So, I was wondering,] Daria asked Anna as they walked down the street towards Daria's house, [How come so many of the teachers are hearing? I'd imagine that doesn't roll well with everyone.]

[Believe me, it doesn't,] Anna signed. She didn't bring it up, but she had talked to several administrators over this fact, to minimal results. [The fact of the matter is that there are very few deaf educators in Lawndale. Most graduates go on to Galludet, and they usually end up working in finance. The teachers at LSD are no amateurs, don't get me wrong; they all had to go through at least two years of training to get these jobs. Still though, it irks some of the students, but not to the point of staging some Galludet-style riot.]

Daria nodded. She decided to move on to another subject: [So, what do you plan on doing when you graduate from college? Or high school, whatever suits your preference.]

[College is good. I plan on going into politics, somehow.]

Daria eyed her curiously. [Really?]

[Problem?]

[I always imagined politics as having the illusion of depth.]

Anna sniggered. [There's more to it than you think. I'm in the debate and mock trial groups at school. You should join; they're really interesting. And you get to scream at each other, and no one minds!] The two laughed at that.

A minute of walking later, Daria pointed ahead. [My house is up there.]

Anna's eyes widened. [Really? I live in the house behind yours.] She indicated a large oak tree in the distance. [I have a tree house hidden away up there.]

[How come we've never run into each other?]

[Beats the hell out of me. Must be our social dispositions.]

[Well, now I know where to find you if I ever plot some crazed revenge scheme.]

[Now you do,] Anna agreed.

Daria turned away to walk inside. Suddenly, Anna had maneuvered herself in front of her, a slightly concerned look on her face. [Listen, or rather, pay attention. I don't know if you'll go to see LHS' shrink, but if you do, just answer the questions, and don't give her any crap, or you'll get sent into that dopey self-esteem class.]

Daria gave a salute. [I will take that knowledge to heart.]

Anna saluted back. The two parted ways for the day. As she walked up the stairs to her room, Daria was confident she'd found someone whose presence was at the very least tolerable.

XXXX

[Okay, lovely people!] Signed Ms. Bowman, a slightly plump, kindly looking middle-aged woman with glasses and wearing a casual dress. [I'm glad to see some of my freshmen back. Oh, and hello to the new faces as well. You'll have to forgive my apparent rudeness; you just haven't had the chance to suck up to me yet.]

The class laughed. Daria gave a small chuckle as well.

[So, we have to do some vocab reading before we start_ The Great Gatsby_, unfortunately. So, see how much of that packet you can complete in the first twenty minutes.]

The class set to work. As Daria finished up the first page, a girl with a long ponytail walked into the classroom, holding a note. She handed it to Bowman and made her exit.

Bowman looked at the note, and then gave it to Daria. [Daria, this is for you to go see the school psychologist inside the main building. Do you need a map?]

Daria shook her head. She exchanged glances with Anna, who signed, [Don't do anything stupid.]

XXXX

Daria walked through the door that had been labeled "Manson."_ Too bad it's a woman, otherwise I could have hoped for Charles. _

The bespectacled psychologist, wearing a pink turtleneck and white business jacket sat with her hands folded on the table as Daria walked in. Daria sat down in the table across from Manson. [So, what's up Doc?]

Manson shook her head. Daria groaned inwardly._ She can't sign. Of course not. I gave this school system too much credit, it seems._ "Can I have an interpreter?" Daria asked. She couldn't hear it, but her voice came out quite low. Manson nearly jumped out of her seat, as though she were unsure whether deaf people could talk at all, but she managed an unsettled nod. She picked up her phone, dialed a number, said a few sentences, and set the phone down. She gave Daria another nod, this one meant to be reassuring.

A few minutes later, Koring came in, smiling. [Hey Daria.] He turned his attention to the psychologist.["What's up Ms. M, you need someone to translate for ya?"]

"Yes, I do, Mr. Koring, thank you for coming. I am not prepared to work with deaf students; I don't know how to sign." To her discomfort, Koring repeated what she had just said back to Daria. "Was that necessary?"

Koring repeated that too. ["It's polite."]

Sighing, Manson held up a large card of two people. "Okay, Daria, I just need you to tell me what this is a picture of."

Koring signed what she'd said to Daria.

"Two people," Daria said. She checked her watch impatiently.

[What are they doing?] Koring signed.

"Talking, evidently, judging from the body language."

Koring nodded enthusiastically._ She'll be a good fit for my class_. [Can you tell me what they are talking about?]

"Does it matter?"

[I just want to know what you think they're doing. It's routine, Daria, trust me.]

_That will be the day._ "They're talking to amuse themselves, because they can't hear one another."

Koring chuckled at Daria's wit. Manson, still looking very, very uncomfortable, made a few notes on her clipboard, then handed Daria a questionnaire. [Okay Daria, just answer this as honestly as you can, then you are free to go.]

XXXX

Daria returned to Bowman's room. She pulled on the door-handle, but to her confusion, the door was locked. She knocked, hoping Bowman would hear, but still, nobody came. Daria pounded harder. Still, no one. She sighed. _Fantastic, I've already been shut out._ She glanced over at another portable. _Maybe they know where my class has gone. I've always wanted to screw up a lesson. At least I'll save them from their brainwashing. _

Daria felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and Anna, as well saw the rest of her class standing behind her. Bowman fiddled with door's lock. After she had opened it, she signed to Daria, [Sorry Daria, we went and got copies of _The Great Gatsby_. Run on over and get one.]

[What if I trip and crack my head on a rock?]

Bowman laughed and retreated back inside. Anna reached under her sweater and revealed an extra copy of the opus of F. Scott Fitzgerald. [This isn't registered to you, or me, so for the love of God, don't lose it.]

Daria took the copy. [Thanks. Much appreciated.]

[You're welcome. YOU] she pointed, [now owe me a favor.]

Daria smirked. [Dammit.]


End file.
